Old Wounds, New Wounds
by JenMorgan27
Summary: This is a two-shot that fills in a couple missing scenes for Lin and Suyin after their impromptu sparring match in Zaofu. Lots of angst and family feels. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is a missing scene from Old Wounds (Book 3, Episode 6) that I've had bouncing around in my head. I always think Su's and Lin's relationship needs more screen time and I've been wondering what would have happened when Lin passed out after their duel. Anyway, I hope you like it. This will probably be a two-shot but I may add some more one-shots down the road, depending on the response. Reviews keep me going! :)

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"What are you two doing?! You're sisters!" Opal cried, glaring at her mother and aunt in turn. "Why would you want to hurt each other?"

Shame flooded over Suyin as the dust from her boulder and Lin's crumbling steps settled around them. _What is wrong with me?_ she thought. _Haven't I already scarred Lin enough? Does my own daughter really have to show me how immature and wrong this is?_ Concern for Lin overtook Su as she replayed that final hit in her mind. She had launched herself out from behind the metal wall just in time to see Lin crash into the steps of the pavilion. It had not been pretty; she had been surprised when Lin wanted to continue fighting afterward.

A quiet groan from Lin pulled Su out of her brief reverie and she looked up just in time to see her sister lose consciousness and collapse. She and Opal both rushed across the small bridge but Korra got there first, catching Lin just before she hit the ground. Su was at her sister's side before several of the group had even moved, falling to her knees as her family and Bolin drew in around them.

"Lin!" Su said urgently, grabbing her sister's shoulders and giving them a small shake. Lin remained unresponsive and Su looked helplessly up at the Avatar.

"Korra, what is wrong with her?" Su cried, her growing panic evident in her voice. "What have I done?"

Korra was at a loss for words as she met the matriarch's pleading eyes. Her wide-eyed gaze shifted down to the unconscious woman resting on her lap. She had never seen Chief Beifong infirm and vulnerable like this before and it was quite unsettling. After a moment of hesitation, Korra summoned a small stream of water from the nearby river and began bending it around Lin, searching for injuries to heal.

Su took her sister's limp hand in her own and watched anxiously as the Avatar worked, looking for any signs that Lin was regaining consciousness or in pain. Su jumped slightly when she felt a firm hand on her back and looked around to see that her husband had crouched beside her in support. She quickly looked around at the rest of the group before turning back to Lin. Opal was kneeling at her aunt's feet, tears beginning to form in her eyes, while Bolin, Wing, and Wei stood behind her looking concerned. Huan stood halfway up the steps, watching the proceedings solemnly.

Korra worked methodically for a couple of minutes and then carefully bent the water back into the stream before speaking. "She doesn't seem to be injured apart from a few bruises," she said slowly, "but I think I healed those alright. Other than that..." She shrugged her shoulders, looking perplexed.

"But why isn't she waking up?" Su asked quickly, still sounding worried. "Surely she should have woken by now."

Korra thought for a moment before answering. "I think she is really just exhausted," she said carefully, "emotionally, more than physically. I bumped into Aiwei earlier when I was looking for her and he mentioned referring her to an acupuncturist in town. I guess that must have taken a lot out of her."

Su nodded, looking back at her still unresponsive sister. "It must have," she said as she considered Korra's words. "That must have been why she came to talk."

Guilt began to seep back in as Su remembered the words she and Lin had exchanged. She had provoked Lin, in the end. She had thrown Tenzin in her sister's face.

"Let's get her back to her room," Su said after a moment. "Quiet and rest should help now."

Bataar and Bolin moved to lift Lin but Su held up a hand to stop them. "Here," she said, turning back to the twisted metal wall she had used to block one of Lin's boulders. She carefully separated a long, narrow piece of the sheet metal and bent it into a makeshift stretcher before bringing it to rest on the ground next to Lin. After carefully lifting her onto the stretcher, Bolin and Wing began to carry her up the hill toward the guesthouses while the others followed.

Su walked alongside the stretcher and still kept a firm hold on her sister's hand as she continually scanned Lin's face for signs of movement. She was surprised when a small, soft hand took hers and turned to find Opal walking next to her, giving her a reassuring smile. Su returned a small smile and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. She gave Opal a tight side hug and kissed her temple.

"Thank you, Opal," she said softly, so only her daughter could hear. "Thank you for stopping us."

Opal blushed slightly and returned her mother's hug, holding tightly to her as they walked.

Everyone but Su and Bataar waited outside Lin's quarters as Wing and Bolin carried her inside and lifted her onto the bed. Mako and Asami had rushed to meet the group when they reached the main courtyard and Korra quietly brought them up to speed in the doorway of the guesthouse.

"Mom, Dad," Wing said quietly as he handed the empty stretcher to Bolin, "Wei, Huan, and I are going to go get the meteorite garden put back together."

"Yeah, you and Aunt Lin… you did quite a number on it," Wei added jokingly from the doorway. "It was pretty awesome."

Wing nodded with a smile before turning back to his parents. "Let us know if you need us," he said seriously before joining his brothers.

"Thank you, boys," Su said emphatically. "And thank you, Bolin, for all of your help."

Bolin seemed on the verge of saying something but apparently thought better of it. Instead he just shrugged sheepishly and followed Wing out. Bataar turned to Su and put a comforting arm around her before looking down at his sister-in-law.

"Would you like me to send for a healer, Su?" he asked. "Or maybe that acupuncturist? I'm sure Aiwei could give me his information."

Su leaned into her husband's embrace and shook her head gently. "No, I'm sure she'll be fine with a bit of rest," she said calmly. "Korra did well with her and I trust her judgement in this." She knew the Avatar was still standing within earshot and made sure to speak just loudly enough for the compliment to reach her.

"Besides," she added, looking back at Lin's sleeping form, "she seems a bit more peaceful now."

Bataar nodded and motioned for her to lead the way out of the guest room, but Su shook her head. "No. You go ahead, dear," she said. "I'm going to stay until she wakes up. I need to- to apologize for a few things."

"Alright," Bataar said slowly. "If you're sure." He gave her one more tight embrace before closing the door behind him and ushering the young people away.

Su sighed heavily as she walked to the nearest chair and carried it closer to the bed. Settling in, she carefully examined her sister's face again. Lin did look more peaceful than she ever had awake. Su's eyes were drawn to the two long scars that ran down Lin's right cheek. _At least I didn't give you any more of those today_ , she thought, looking away forcefully. _At least not visible ones, anyway._

Over the years, Su had gotten very good at separating the guilt she felt over scarring her older sister from the tranquil, happy life she now lived with her family in Zaofu. It had been easy to tell herself that she had been a teenager and a different person back then. It was much harder to make those excuses now that her sister and those scars were in front of her again.

 _Maybe Lin's right_ , she thought sadly, remembering the ferocity of their sparring match and her fear at realizing that her rashness could have once again hurt her sister. _Maybe neither of us have really changed at all._

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So there's Part 1 of this two-shot. I'm hoping to get the second part done this week, especially if there's any interest from you lovely readers. Let me know what you think so far! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I'm sorry for the delay in posting this. I've been planning my wedding and life is currently crazy. Haha! Anyway, I'm so glad to see that there's interest in this little story. Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews! This is the second part of my two-shot from Old Wounds. Let me know what you think!

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More than two hours had passed before Lin finally began to stir and open her eyes. She was surprised to find that she was in bed and had to glance around the room for a moment before remembering where she was. _That's right,_ she thought. _Zaofu._

Memories of her visits to the acupuncturist, confronting Su in the garden, and the duel that followed trickled back into her mind and Lin brought a hand up to cover her eyes, groaning as she slowly massaged her temples.

 _Great,_ she thought bitterly. _And now I'm back in my guestroom, which means that I had to be carried up here by those idiots. Excellent._

Shifting a little under the covers, Lin reflected sardonically that her ego currently felt much more bruised than her body. And that was saying something. She had taken some pretty decent hits off her little sister. _Mom certainly would have been proud_ , she thought sarcastically.

Smirking at the idea of what their mother would say, Lin rolled over onto her side to get a bit more comfortable and almost cried out in surprise. She had mistakenly assumed she was alone in her guestroom but now saw that her sister, the object of her ire, was sitting in an armchair she'd clearly pulled up to the edge of Lin's bed, watching her.

It appeared that Su had been dozing until very recently, based on the way she was slouched in her chair with her head resting on her hand. Lin realized that her groans and movement must have woken Su and mentally kicked herself for not sensing her sister's presence right away.

"What are you doing in here, Su?" Lin asked resignedly, turning to her other side to avoid looking at her sister. "I'm not interested in whatever you've got to say and I certainly don't need you to watch me sleep."

Su rolled her eyes and straightened in her chair. She had known Lin would not welcome her intrusion but she didn't really care. Mostly she was just glad that Lin was finally awake. It had taken longer than Su had expected and she had found herself repeatedly feeling for her sister's nearby heartbeat through the cool stone floor.

"How are you feeling?" Su asked. She ignored Lin's air of disdain and tried to keep an even, pleasant tone in her voice.

Lin scoffed and rolled onto her back again, apparently unable to get comfortable on her side. Looking straight at the ceiling above her, Lin decided she was not currently in the mood for another shouting match. Maybe if she remained somewhat civil long enough, Su would leave her alone.

"I'm sure I've been better," she replied with a sigh, still avoiding looking at her sister. She paused for a moment before grudgingly adding, "Actually, I probably feel better than I should, if my memory of our little fight is correct. You don't seem to have lost your touch."

Su chuckled quietly. "Neither have you, Chief," she said. "Korra healed some bruising after you collapsed, but you'll probably feel a bit stiff for a while. I know I do."

It was the elder Beifong's turn to crack a small smile as Su turned and stretched in her chair, but Lin grimaced again at the thought of herself fainting in front of everyone, especially the Avatar and her friends. There went her tough, no-nonsense reputation. Memories of what had happened were now coming in a bit more clearly. She had just hit the steps of the pavilion and stood to face Su again when she'd started to feel really lightheaded. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was Opal shouting from the center of the bridge, though her voice had sounded like it was travelling through deep water to reach Lin.

"Great," Lin groaned as she covered her eyes again.

"Oh, relax, Lin," Su said, rolling her eyes with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I'm sure those kids are just as intimidated by you as ever." She paused before quietly adding, "One thing is certain, they all clearly respect and care about you."

"I don't need them to care about me," Lin replied irritably, sitting up and leaning heavily into the headboard. "I need them to listen to me and do as I say."

Su laughed softly. "Well," she said slowly, looking sideways at her sister, "if they're anything like I was, you've got your work cut out for you."

Lin's expression darkened but she did not respond. The casual, comfortable tone that had slipped into their conversation was replaced by a long, tense silence. _Well, I suppose now is the time_ , Su reflected, sitting up straight in her chair and steeling herself to say what she'd waited for two hours to say. She knew that Lin could probably sense anxiety in her quickening heartbeat and decided to dive right in.

"For what it's worth, Lin, I am sorry," Su said quietly, looking down at her own clasped hands. "I'm sorry for the way things went between us." Lin slowly turned to face her sister. She looked completely worn down, exhausted. Su continued in a rush, slightly afraid of what her sister would say once she finished.

"I'm sorry for hurting you that day," she said, glancing furtively up at Lin's scarred cheek. "And I'm sorry for hurting you again today. I-"

"Su, stop," Lin said suddenly, holding both hands up. Su's rapid flow of apologies ground to a halt and she looked at her older sister with wide, tear-filled eyes. Lin took a deep breath and looked back her little sister for a moment, her expression softening slightly. "Su, I think we can both agree that I started everything that happened today. I was a bit overwhelmed and-"

"We were bound to have that conversation sooner or later, Lin, ever since you arrived in Zaofu," Su said evenly. "But I baited you. I threw Tenzin in your face, and for no reason at all."

Lin pursed her lips and looked away for a moment, reflecting. "I overreacted," she said finally. "That's ancient history and I moved passed it a long time ago. Tenzin and I are fine now."

Su sensed a hint of brusqueness in her sister's voice and knew that those words fell a bit short of the truth. It made sense. Lin and Tenzin had spent the whole of their childhood and teenage years as inseparable as any best friends Su had ever known, and had been together for well over a decade as adults.

Lin took a deep breath before continuing, "Besides, I think we both said some things we shouldn't have."

Su sighed heavily. "Probably," she said wearily. They sat in silence for a while before Su shifted in her chair as if to stand.

"At any rate, I'm glad you're alright, Lin," Su said as she stood. "And as I said, I am sorry."

Without waiting for a response, Su turned to leave the room. She was surprised when she felt a hand suddenly clasp around her arm to stop her from walking away from the bed. An overwhelming sense déjà vu came over her as she looked down, first at her restrained wrist and then at her sister's face. They had done this before, a long time ago, and she knew Lin was thinking of that time as well. Lin wore a somber expression as she looked at her own hand on Su's arm and Su was taken aback at the moisture she saw in Lin's eyes.

"Su," she began haltingly, "I'm sorry, too. I-"

She paused, still working out want she wanted to say. "I'm sorry I stayed away."

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And there you have it! Please submit a review and let me know what you think. :) I have a few more ideas for oneshots and missing scenes about the Beifong family and feedback from readers definitely helps motivate me to get them on paper, so let me know if you'd like to see more stories like this. Thanks for reading!


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